Love You
by Lucy H
Summary: Monica and Chandler's relationship takes a different turning.
1. Chapter One

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Love You

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. 

This takes place around the start of series 5 – just after TOW the Kissing. Everything is the same from that episode, except that Phoebe hasn't gone into labour yet. Phoebe is heavily pregnant with the triplets, Rachel has just told Ross she loves him, Monica and Chandler are secretly dating, and Joey is just the same as always.

Monica Gellar looked anxiously at her boyfriend. They were all alone in her apartment, but something didn't feel right. "Chandler…" she began, but he cut her off with a kiss. She pushed him away.

"What, Mon?" he asked, not at all angry at being stopped mid-kiss. If anything, he looked worried.

"Chandler…" Monica began again. "It just doesn't feel right." 

Chandler had an adorable puzzled look on his face, and it was all Monica could do not to forget what she had just said and kiss him. "What doesn't feel right?" he asked, worriedly.

Monica sighed. "Well, I don't like the idea of everyone finding out about us. They came so close today, and it worries me."

Chandler nodded. "I guess. But what do we do?" he asked, as a sudden realisation hit him. Monica wanted to break up with him. "We're not breaking up, are we?" 

Monica gave a little laugh. "No, sweetie, I love you too much to do that." She paused. "I think we should tell them."

"Tell them?" asked Chandler. He thought for a second. "If that's what you want, honey. But not just yet, eh?" He kissed her again, and this time she didn't stop him. She just let herself be led into her bedroom. A second later, the door closed. High-pitched giggling could be heard from the bedroom, as well as moans of delight.

Rachel walked through the door, just as Monica cried out Chandler's name. She smirked to herself. "Well, I never," she whispered. "Monica dreams about Chandler." She walked over to the door, ready to wake Monica up, and tell her what she heard. As her hand was on the knob, she heard Chandler's voice.

"Oh, wow, Monica," he whispered, softly. Rachel gave a start of surprise. That was all the door needed to open. Through the open door, she could see her friends, semi-naked and making out, and they could see her, looking as though she'd seen a ghost.

"Rachel!" gasped Monica, trying to cover herself up with something; before she realised they were Chandler's boxers. She dropped them and grabbed the bedclothes instead.

Rachel didn't know what to say. She ran out of the apartment, shocked. Monica sat up, and looked at Chandler. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, but then, as if they'd talked about it, they got up, dressed quickly, and ran after their friend.

* * *

Rachel ran to Central Perk, the place she'd found comfort all those years before. When she arrived, Ross, Phoebe and Joey were all there. Phoebe had her hand on her stomach, and was talking to the babies. Joey and Ross were chatting about football. They all looked up as Rachel entered.

"Hey, Rach," Joey greeted her. Phoebe nodded, and Ross looked up at her.

"Are you okay, Rachel?" he asked, anxiously.

Rachel didn't know what to say. "I-I just saw…" she began, but before she could finish, Chandler and Monica ran in.

"Hi, Rachel," said Chandler, with fake cheerfulness. 

"Hey," Monica added.

Phoebe sensed the tension in the air. "What did you just see, Rachel?" she asked.

Monica gasped. She couldn't believe that her best friend would tell everyone. No, that wasn't true. Even at high school, Rachel had been a lousy secret keeper. But, still…

Chandler seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Monica. "Rachel?" he asked. "Could I please speak to you, over here?" He nodded towards the door, and Rachel walked over with him. Monica followed.

Rachel could hardly look at her friends. She couldn't believe what she had seen them doing. "What is it?" she muttered, carefully avoiding their eyes.

Monica took charge. "Ok, Rach, you cannot tell anyone about what you just saw." Chandler nodded along with her.

"Why not?" mumbled Rachel.

"Because – because…" began Chandler. He looked at Monica for help. She nodded encouragingly, and he glared at her. "Because we want to tell people in our own time. And it's not just some little thing. I love her."

Rachel stared at him. "I have to not tell people that you two are dating? The biggest news of the year?"

"I know this must be hard, sweetie," Monica began.

"Hard?" asked Rachel. "I can't believe you didn't tell me! And how are people gonna react when they find out I've known about you two?"

Monica sighed. "We can't tell Ross."

"Yeah, we reckon he might kill me," Chandler said, seriously. "And we like me," he added, jokingly.

"So I just have to act normal?" asked Rachel. The other two nodded. "I reckon I can do that." Chandler opened his mouth to give some sarcastic comment, no doubt, but Rachel stopped him. "If I'm gonna do this favour for you, you're gonna have to be nice to me."

Monica nodded, and, after a poke in the ribs, Chandler did the same. Then, slowly, they walked back to their other friends.

Phoebe looked up. "What did you see, Rachel?"

Rachel looked trapped and stared wildly at Monica and Chandler. Suddenly, she had an inspiration. "I-I saw these two people, uh, making out, on the sidewalk outside." As the rest of the gang ran to see, Monica mouthed "Thanks" to her best friend.

* * *

A week later, Phoebe still hadn't given birth, and was getting slightly anxious about it. Monica and Chandler had other things to worry about, though. They were working hard at not getting seen together. Now that Chandler had used the European excuse for kissing Monica, they had no standby. Rachel was a huge help, though. She offered to get rid of the rest of the gang so that the 'lovebirds' could have the apartment to themselves.

One day, Chandler snuck off work early to be with Monica. While they were kissing in the kitchen, the phone rang. "Ignore it, ignore it," Monica mumbled, kissing Chandler. They let the machine pick it up, and Joey's voice cut in.

"Hi Monica, this is Joey. Uh, I've just taken Phoebe to the hospital; she's got this really weird pain. I think it's the babies." Monica pushed Chandler away and ran to the phone. She picked it up.

"Joey? Monica here."

"Oh, Mon," gasped Joey. "I've rung Ross and Rachel, but I can't find Chandler. Can you find him and come – quickly?" 

"W-why should I have seen Chandler?" Monica panicked.

Joey glossed over this. "Just come. And fast."

"Fast? Joey, what's wrong?" 

"Wait – I'm running out of ch…" And Joey's voice disappeared. 

Monica turned to Chandler, smiling. "Joey says the babies are coming." He grinned, and hugged her, more of a friendly gesture than a loving one.

She pushed him away. "Gotta get to the hospital." He nodded, and, arms around each other, they walked out the door.

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, Joey was waiting for them. "Frank and Alice are in there," he said, turning a terrified face to them. "Phoebe's in a lot of pain."

Chandler patted his arm. "She'll be fine, Joe."

Monica looked around. "Where're Ross and Rachel?"

"Gone to get food." Joey was terrified for Phoebe, so scared, he'd turned down food. "I waited here, cos, uh, I wanted to be here when you got here."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Monica was bored, and wished that Joey hadn't called them until it was over. They could have been doing much better things with their time. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom," she decided, elbowing Chandler.

"Wha—oh, yeah, I need to go as well," Chandler gasped, trying not to show how much Monica had hurt him.

Joey watched, as the two lovers ran to the bathroom. "Man, what did they eat?" he thought.

* * *

"Which bathroom?" gasped Monica, as they ran. 

"Neither," replied Chandler. "Broom cupboard." He grabbed her arm and pulled her into one. He shut the door, leaving them in darkness.

They were passionately kissing, when they heard Ross' voice outside. "Ross," Chandler mumbled, pulling away. 

"He won't know we're here," Monica whispered, pulling him back. He let her, until they heard Rachel say, "She's had them?"

They broke apart instantly. "Had them?" Monica was thrilled. "Quick, we've gotta get out of here."

"No, no," Chandler stopped her. "Ross is out there, remember?"

Footsteps were heard outside. "Not any more," Monica hissed. "Quickly, we need to get out before they realise we've gone."

They waited a few more seconds, and then ran like hell. They ran all the way back to the others, arriving out of breath. Everyone was too excited to notice.

"The babies are here!" cried Rachel, happily.

"And Phoebe's fine!" Joey shrieked, all traces of fear gone.

"And Chandler's a girl," added Ross.

* * *

A little while later, the five friends went in to see Frank, Alice, their new children, and Phoebe. Phoebe was sitting in a chair, looking very tired. Babies Frank, Leslie and girl Chandler were adorable, and, as Monica cradled baby girl Chandler, she couldn't help but wish that she had one. She looked up at Chandler, a question in her eyes.

Chandler sighed. He knew she'd want this one day. He nodded, wearily, and felt exhilarated at the happiness in his girlfriend's eyes. 

Another question was forming in Monica's mind. More of an idea than a question, really. She wanted to tell everyone about her new love. She glanced at Chandler, and saw that he was so absorbed in looking at the baby, he didn't even notice her look. So, she whispered her question to him.

He nodded. "But not today," he added. "This is Frank and Alice's day." 

"Later," she murmured. "Love you."

* * *

Two days later, Phoebe came home. They had a little party for her at Monica's, but she was so depressed at giving up the babies, that it didn't go very well. Monica knew how to cheer people up, though.

"Chandler and I have something to say," she announced, proudly. "We've been dating since London."

Everyone looked up, startled, apart from Ross and Rachel. Rachel faked shock, a good enough fake for Joey and Phoebe. Ross, however, looked angry.

"I can't believe you, man!" he shouted at Chandler. "You – you slept with my sister." He paused with rage, took a deep breath, and punched Chandler hard in the face. 

"Ross!" cried Monica. "How dare you!" She rushed to help her boyfriend, but Ross got there first. He pushed her back, so roughly that she fell. She screamed in pain; she'd landed on a stiletto heel. She began to cry softly as Ross stormed out, kicking his sister on the way out. "I-I can't believe he did that."

Chandler clutched his bleeding nose, and tried to help his girlfriend up. Phoebe looked shocked. "Wow, I'm so happy for you guys," she whispered.

Joey got up. "I'm going after Ross," he declared. "He had no right to do that."

Between them, Phoebe, Rachel and Chandler managed to get Monica up. "I can't believe he did that," she whispered, again.

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A/N: I'm planning to make this into a new series, if you like it. Please review and tell me what you think. I know the ending was a bit odd.


	2. Chapter Two

Love You, Chapter 2 ****

Love You, Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. However, the ideas are mine.

Thanks for the reviews. I like getting reviews. Read chapter one before reading this.

A week after Ross' outburst, he still wasn't talking to his sister and his friends. Joey had tried to talk to him, but Ross had refused to listen. Monica and Chandler were not happy about the situation, but, as Chandler said, what could they do? Rachel, Joey and Phoebe were so shocked by Ross' actions that they had not spoken to him since Joey's vain attempt to get him to talk. And Monica had another problem.

Ever since Ross had hurt her, she had had an awful pain in her lower back. When she had mentioned it to Chandler, he'd looked worried. "Go and see a doctor, Mon," he'd urged. And so she did.

Chandler held Monica's hand tightly as they sat in the waiting room, waiting for her test results. He hoped she was all right. He loved Monica like he'd never loved anyone before, even though they'd only been dating for four weeks. And he knew that she felt the same way. 

Monica edged closer to Chandler, fear showing in her face. "Chandler," she began. "W-what if I'm really ill? Will you still love me?"

Chandler kissed her. "Always," he whispered.

The perfect moment was broken by the doctor coming in. "Miss Gellar?" she asked. "Can you come through, please?"

Monica took a deep breath, and stood up. "Wait for me?" she asked Chandler, softly. He nodded, and watched her go through the door.

* * *

The doctor smiled at Monica. "Don't worry, Miss Gellar. Your test results came through yesterday. You don't seem to be suffering from any serious disease."

"But… what's all the pain for?" queried Monica, feeling exhilarated.

The doctor paused. Finally, she began speaking, slowly. "Well, you are pregnant. And when you fell, your baby moved into a position that is uncomfortable for you, although perfectly healthy."

Monica sat up, trying to understand this information. She was pregnant? A thrill went through her, and quickly stopped when she thought of nine more months of this pain. 

The doctor carried on. "We can try to move the baby, because I don't feel that it would do you any good to have this pain for eight more months. Or, you could have a termination."

"No," Monica decided. "I'm not going to kill my baby. But – " she stopped. "I need to talk to my boyfriend," she told the doctor, who nodded.

"Is he here?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to bring him in? I can tell him the details." Monica nodded, and went to fetch Chandler. A second later, she was back.

"What's the matter?" asked Chandler, worried.

The doctor told him the same thing she had told Monica. Chandler was thrilled; he hugged Monica, and decided that he had never felt so happy. But then the doctor carried on, talking about moving the baby. After some more discussion, the three of them decided that that was the best way to go. Monica was going to come back in the morning to have the baby moved.

* * *

As soon as they arrived at Central Perk, Monica couldn't hold it in any longer. "We're having a baby!" she cried.

Rachel jumped up and down screaming. "Ohmigod, Ohmigod! Congratulations!"

Joey gave a smirk and clapped Chandler on the back. "Way to go, man!"

Phoebe laughed and clapped her hands together. "Wow, that's great! Oh, I feel all floopy."

"But," began Chandler, but Monica shook her head. "No need," she whispered. "They're all really happy, we don't want to stop that." He nodded, and they joined in the screaming.

Suddenly Rachel broke apart from the little happy huddle. "Are you gonna tell Ross?" she asked. "He is gonna be an uncle, after all."

Monica stopped jumping. She didn't want to call Ross. She hated him – he didn't want her to be with Chandler. And Rachel was saying she should call him? "I – I don't know yet."

Chandler put an arm around her. "C'mon, Monica, we should get you home. Pregnant women need their rest," he said, smiling. They walked out of Central Perk, Monica smiling with joy. As long as Chandler was there with her, she felt safe.

* * *

The following afternoon, Monica arrived home from the hospital after having the baby moved. She was in high spirits, because it hadn't hurt a bit, and the doctor had told her that the baby was very healthy. Both she and Chandler had decided that they didn't want to know the sex of their child, even though that wasn't an option yet, as Monica was only four weeks pregnant. On hearing that, she realised that the baby must have been conceived on their first night together in London.

Monica got a taxi home from the hospital – Chandler had been working, so she had gone alone. When she arrived at her apartment, she found Joey, Phoebe, Rachel and Chandler all there, and all obviously excited about something. "You said you were working this afternoon!" she said to Chandler, but she wasn't really angry. How could she be angry when she had a baby inside her, and her best friends all around her?

"I had a good reason for lying," Chandler told her, coming over to her and putting his arm around her. "How's my baby?"

"Fine," Monica beamed. "The doctor says it's healthy."

Chandler nodded, seeming preoccupied. He sat her down on a chair, and got down on one knee. Monica gasped. "What are you doing?"

Chandler didn't answer. "Monica… I love you, I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, but I've known you for years. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I know you feel the same. W-will you marry me?"

Monica's heart thudded. She hadn't expected this. Chandler was right; she did feel the same. She knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and she wanted her baby to grow up with married parents. Monica Bing, she thought to herself. She knew what she had to say. One simple little word could change her life. She whispered it, softly, lovingly, but there was no need. He already knew the answer.

He grabbed her and kissed her, to the cheers of their best friends in the background. When the kiss showed no sign of ending, their three friends quietly left the room, leaving the newly engaged couple to themselves. 

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a dream for Monica and Chandler. Going to work was just something they did to pass the time between the wonderful hours they spent together. Chandler moved into Monica's apartment, so Rachel moved in with Joey, to give the lovebirds some time alone.

One sunny morning, Rachel posed a good question to the couple. "What are you going to call the baby?"

Monica and Chandler were stumped. "Oh, oh, Phoebe!" cried Phoebe. "But only if it's a girl, cos I don't want to know another boy named Phoebe."

"You once knew a boy named Phoebe?" asked Rachel.

"Yeah, no, but it was in another life. My name was Harriet Norton then," Phoebe announced calmly. "It was in about 1870, and I was a chambermaid for some posh British aristocrat. Phoebe Luton was a really cute valet. We married, actually. Had ten children."

"Wow, then you must know some pretty good names," Monica said.

Phoebe smiled. "It was ages ago. How am I meant to remember all my children's names from all my lives?" She paused. "Although I often had a son called Matthew. Eight times, I had a son called Matthew."

Joey looked up from his breakfast. "Call it Joseph if it's a boy, Josephine if it's a girl," he said, calmly, disregarding all the shrieks of disapproval all his friends gave him.

Monica felt her heart sink. What kind of mother didn't have a name for her child? Chandler seemed to know what she was thinking, and he smiled at her. She felt herself going weak at the knees. Had life ever felt this perfect with Richard? No, it hadn't. Just for a second, she forgot about the baby, about Ross, about all her troubles. She and Chandler were the only two people in the world. And they could handle anything.


	3. Chapter Three

**Love You, Chapter 3**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

In the week since the five friends had discussed baby names, Monica and Chandler still hadn't thought of any names that they liked. There were plenty of names that Monica liked, and plenty of names that Chandler liked, but none that they mutually liked. Chandler liked Bethany and Christopher, but Monica liked Molly and Jamie. And when you added Phoebe, Rachel and Joey's suggestions in, then you had ten names, and no hope of choosing the best one.

When Nora Bing heard of their dilemma, she sent them a baby name book, with her favourites circled in red. When they received that, Chandler asked Monica whether she had told her parents.

"Yes," said Monica, leaving it at that. 

Chandler didn't want to push it. He guessed that Judy had been horrible to her, about being an unmarried mother. But he couldn't help himself. He hugged her, and whispered,

"Was it as bad as that?"

Monica laughed. "It wasn't that awful, actually. But she told me it was disgraceful, having a child when I'm not even married."

"Well, why not?" asked Chandler. "We're engaged, why not get married before the baby's born?"

"Okay," Monica replied, surprising both of them. "Why not?"

"How about December 8th?" asked Chandler. "That's in four weeks. We can have a bit of time to prepare, and you won't be too – too pregnant to fit into your dress."

"Sounds good," Monica replied, easily. "Where shall we have it? Registry office?"

"Uh-huh," Chandler nodded. "Who shall we invite?"

"Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Mom and Dad, your mom – your dad?"

"No way," Chandler said, firmly. "He'd only come in a dress or something. Ross?"

"No way," Monica smiled, mimicking Chandler. "He'd only mess up the ceremony."

They were quiet for a second, and then Chandler summed it up. "Okay, small wedding, December 8th, in a registry office."

"Ya know why that sounds so good?" asked Monica. Chandler shook his head. "Because it's _ours_."

There was a comfortable silence. Neither of the two wanted to break it, but Chandler felt he had to. He pushed Monica away from him, gently. "Does Ross know?"

"Know about what?"

"The baby, the wedding, anything." Chandler didn't want to make Monica angry, but he had to know what his ex-best friend thought of everything.

Monica sighed. "Okay, he knows we're engaged, and he knows about the baby, but Mom says he doesn't want to talk to us. He's hanging around with Carol and Susan." This last bit of information had surprised her when she heard. Ross must really hate the two lovers, or he wouldn't hang around with his ex-wife and _her_ wife.

"Carol and Susan?" gasped Chandler, obviously thinking along the same lines as his fiancée. "Wow, he must really hate us."

As they were having this conversation, there was a knock at the door, and Joey, Rachel and Phoebe came in. "Hey guys," Rachel called out. "Can we come in?"

"You already are," Monica pointed out.

"Hey, a baby name book!" Joey pounced on it. "Wow, whoever thought that Ezekiel was a name?"

"I knew a guy called Ezekiel once," Phoebe announced. "He lived on the street and had three iguanas."

"Guys," Chandler began. "Monica and I have set a date for the wedding." That quieted everyone. "December 8th."

"In a registry office, and we're just going to invite you guys, my mom and dad, and Chandler's mom," Monica told them.

"But you are gonna have a dress, right?" asked Rachel, worried.

"I guess," Monica said. "If we can get one in four weeks."

"Can I be your best man?" asked Joey, excitedly.

"Yeah, sure, man," Chandler said. "I was going to ask you anyway."

"Ooh, ooh, who's going to be maid of honour?" asked Phoebe, eagerly.

Monica paused. "I don't know." She panicked slightly. Why hadn't she thought of it before?

But, thankfully, Chandler came to the rescue. "How about if Rachel is maid of honour, and Pheebs provides the music?" Monica smiled at him gratefully. And everyone else seemed delighted with the solution. 

* * *

A week later, Jack, Judy and Nora had all been told about the wedding. They had also decided to invite Gunther, because he was – in a way – one of their friends. He had been angry at first, but when he realised that Chandler was marrying Monica and not Rachel, he soon came around to the idea.

No one could decide on a name for the baby. Monica had had her first sonogram, and was insisting that the baby had Chandler's nose, but no one else could tell anything like that.

Rachel and Monica went shopping for dresses, dragging an unwilling Phoebe along with them. She insisted that she needed to write some songs, but Monica said that traditional hymns would be fine. As they stood there, trying on dresses, Monica felt something in her small bump.

"Oh!" she gasped. "The baby kicked!"

Phoebe and Rachel raced over to her and put their hands on her stomach. "Wow," whispered Rachel. "There's a little person in there."

Phoebe shuddered. "A mixture of Chandler and Monica. It's going to be a sarcastic little neat freak."

Monica was going to reply to that, but decided not to. Without Chandler there, she couldn't win. Chandler was the king of irrational arguments. 

An hour later, they left the shop, each clutching a bag with her new dress in it. Monica's dress wasn't exactly a traditional wedding dress, instead, it was a pale gold dress, very long, and she looked wonderful in it. Rachel had bought a shorter, tighter, strapless pink number, and Monica had giggled, picturing Gunther's face when he saw it. Phoebe's dress was a light blue colour, and was the same style as Monica's, only shorter. All three girls looked beautiful in their dresses, and they couldn't wait to show them off to Joey and Chandler. Because they weren't having a traditional wedding, Monica felt that Chandler could safely see her dress.

As the three women twirled for the guys, showing off their new dresses, the baby kicked again. Chandler was thrilled, and insisted on holding his hand to the bump for the rest of the day. "That's my baby in there," he said proudly to Gunther, when they arrived at Central Perk. He refused to let Monica have coffee, because of the caffeine, and insisted that she drank milk, to build up the baby's bones. 

Monica didn't mind her fiancé's pushiness. She felt that she would do anything for Chandler and his baby, and she knew that he felt the same.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to put up. Year Nines aren't meant to do GCSEs, and they shouldn't. Hint, hint, to any teachers out there! Please R+R, anyway.


	4. Chapter Four

Love You, Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

The wedding was tomorrow, and all of the gang were very excited, especially Monica and Chandler. Monica was probably the most excited. She had always looked forward to the day that she would get married, and even though she wasn't having a traditional wedding, and not even having a honeymoon, she was still marrying the man of her dreams. And, as Chandler pointed out, maybe her mother would stop being so nasty to her now. 

"Are you having a hen night?" asked Rachel, at about ten o'clock in the morning. The gang were in Central Perk, and conversation was dull. 

Joey looked blank. "A what?" he asked.

"A hen night, Joe," Monica told him. "The night before a woman gets married, she goes out with some friends, and…"

"Oh, that," Joey said, nodding in a way that told the others that he hadn't got a clue what Monica was talking about. "Chandler, are we having a stripper?" he whined.

"No," Chandler replied, crossly. "I don't want to look at a naked woman – unless it's Monica." Monica inched closer to her husband-to-be, and smiled up at him.

"Aw, man!" Joey complained. "You might have found your woman, but why do you have to spoil our fun?"

"Who else is going to your stag do?" asked Phoebe.

"I'm not having one," Chandler told her. "It'd only be Joey and me anyway. We're just gonna have some beers, watch the Knicks game."

"Yeah baby!" Joey cheered.

"So, are you having a hen night?" asked Rachel, again.

"No," Monica announced. "I couldn't drink anyway. But do you and Pheebs want to come round and watch some TV tonight or something? I'll get some wine in." She would have enjoyed a hen night. But she couldn't hurt the unborn baby, and alcohol and smoky clubs would definitely harm it.

Phoebe and Rachel agreed, and they left the coffee house to go to work. Gunther stood behind the counter, thinking. He knew where Rachel was going to be tonight. Rachel and alcohol would be there, and that sounded good.

* * *

That night, as Chandler and Joey were watching the Knicks game in Joey's apartment, the three girls were sitting in Monica and Chandler's apartment, painting their toenails, and chatting about the wedding, the baby, Chandler, and life in general.

"I can't believe that Chandler is the first to settle down," said Rachel. "And you, Mon, but _Chandler_!"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, who'd have thought that Mr Commitment-Freak himself is getting married and has a baby on the way?"

"He's not a commitment freak," Monica defended him. "He's changed _a lot_ since we started dating. He's really sweet, and I can see why Janice was so in love with him."

Phoebe and Rachel made faces at the mention of Janice. "Ew, Janice!" cried Phoebe. "Although she was kinda sweet."

"But she was really annoying," Rachel pointed out.

Monica just let them chat. She felt so happy and comfortable. She was there, with two of her best friends, on the night before her wedding to the sweetest man alive, the man whom she had loved since the first moment she laid eyes on him. And inside her was her unborn child, still without a name, but _her_ child, all the same. She thought that life couldn't possibly get any better, unless Chandler was there. Every second that she was away from him, felt as though it was an hour. She couldn't bear being parted from him, but after tomorrow, they would officially be together, and all those worries would be gone.

Over an hour later, when it was nearly midnight, Rachel was very drunk. Monica was sober, and Phoebe was just a little tipsy. There was a knock at the door, and Rachel got up to answer it.

"Who's that?" she said, smiling. "I betcha it's – it's Joey. Joe-eyy!" She called this last bit, loudly, trying to get him to hear her. She opened the door, swaying slightly. "Hey, it's Gun - Gun - coffee house guy! Hey, coffee house guy!" Gunther smiled widely, and Monica and Phoebe nudged each other, giggling.

"Hi, Rachel," Gunther said, politely. "I just came by to do this—" and he grabbed Rachel, pulling her into a kiss. Phoebe and Monica laughed at the ecstatic expression on Gunther's face when they pulled away.

"Wanna have sex?" asked Rachel, slurring her words. Gunther didn't even seem to notice the drunkenness, and, nodding, they left the apartment, Rachel giggling.

Monica and Phoebe were stunned. "Wow," said Phoebe, after a few seconds. "Well, I'm gonna go to sleep…" she paused, and laid her head back on the sofa. In a flash, she was snoring. 

"Pheebs?" asked Monica, uncertainly. "Are you asleep?" There was another snore. "Okay, I'm going to go to bed, then," she said, and left for her bedroom.

* * *

The following morning, Monica was up at six. She couldn't sleep without Chandler by her side, not anymore. She jumped up and went to see if Phoebe was awake. She wasn't. Still zoned out in yesterday's clothes, with an empty glass in her hand, she looked like a cartoon – maybe a female Homer Simpson. Monica shook her head. Anyone that knew Phoebe knew that she was nowhere near a female Homer. But looking like that… Monica smiled to herself as she relived the events of the last night. 

Phoebe moved on the sofa. "Oh, Joey," she mumbled. Monica's hand flew to her mouth to stop a giggle escaping. Joey?

"Joey," Phoebe mumbled again, moving her lips as though she was kissing him. Monica fled into the bathroom, feeling as though she was listening in on a private conversation or something.

When she was in the bathroom, she suddenly wondered what had happened to Rachel and Gunther. Well, she'd find out at the wedding. She showered quickly, and brushed her teeth. When she walked out of the bathroom, in her robe, with her hair in a towel, Phoebe was awake, glaring at her.

"Monica!" she cried. "It's six-fifteen, and you've woken me up!"

Monica stared, blankly at her.

"You ran a shower, and woke me up," Phoebe elaborated. "And I don't like mornings."

"But I'm getting married in less than four hours," Monica told her, smiling with joy.

Phoebe groaned. "Why didn't you wake me up at eight, then?"

"Because I can't sleep without Chandler," Monica explained. 

"Aw, how sweet," Phoebe smiled. "Now let me sleep."

Monica gave Phoebe two hours more sleep. At eight o'clock, she woke her up, and the two of them ate breakfast and dressed. They were finishing their makeup when Rachel came running through the door.

"I slept with Gunther!" she cried. "Why didn't one of you stop me?"

"Because you wanted to," Monica said.

"And he _so_ wanted it," Phoebe added.

Rachel hurriedly showered, dressed and did her makeup. Then, together with Joey and Chandler, they walked to the registry office, near to their apartment block.

* * *

The ceremony was short and very beautiful. Monica couldn't stop crying, but they were tears of joy. The girls all looked beautiful in their dresses, and Joey and Chandler looked very smart. When the happy couple walked out of the building as Mr and Mrs Bing, even Joey was crying. 

Monica looked at Chandler. She had never felt so happy in all her life. As the photographer told them to kiss for the camera, she felt as though she would burst with happiness. 


	5. Chapter Five

Love You, Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Monica woke up every morning feeling happy. She went to bed feeling even happier. And it was all because of her new husband Chandler. He made her feel so wonderful about herself. And then there was the little person growing inside her. She couldn't believe that in just over two months, she would be a mother. This was what she had wanted ever since she was in kindergarten. 

Even though they hadn't had a traditional wedding, and she was pregnant before they married, Monica still felt as if she were living in a fairytale. And Chandler felt the same. She knew that this kind of happiness only came once in a lifetime. But she was going to make it last for the rest of hers.

In the few months since the wedding, Rachel and Gunther had continued sleeping together, and Rachel had confessed to Monica that she was falling in love with Gunther. Monica had smiled about that. Ever since Rachel had walked into Central Perk that first time, Gunther had been blindingly, obviously in love with Rachel. And now Rachel was falling in love with Gunther. It was amazing. 

Monica loved getting home from work and arriving back at her apartment. She and Chandler had started decorating the baby's room, with a lot of help from Joey, Rachel and Phoebe, and a bit of help from Gunther, who was fast replacing Ross in everyone's affections. Nora Bing had given them some money to help them through the first few years, which, she told them, were always the hardest. Carol and Susan had offered some of Ben's old clothes, but Monica had turned them down. She didn't want to take things from Ross' son, and she wanted to buy her child's clothes herself, she told Chandler.

"I can't wait 'til we can go baby clothes shopping," Chandler had agreed.

"You don't have to wait," Rachel protested.

"Yeah, baby!" cried Joey.

"Wow, this time I'm actually going to see a baby after it's born," Phoebe said, happily.

"Let's go now," Monica decided. "How about the baby store on 42nd Street? They have all cute little clothes – and we still need a crib and a pram and other baby stuff."

They all got up, and left, Monica pausing to lock up. 

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the baby store. A woman was outside with twins. "Oh, cute, cute!" cried Phoebe. "What're their names?" she asked the woman.

"James and Matthew," the woman replied, smiling. "They're seven months old." She indicated Monica's stomach. "When're you due?"

"Nine weeks," Monica answered. "I can't wait!" Chandler pulled her closer, and the five friends walked into the store. Monica gasped. It was like a baby world. Rows upon rows of clothes, prams, cribs, changing tables, car seats, everything that you could possibly think of was there. The five of them wandered in the direction of baby clothes.

* * *

A week after first visiting the baby store, Monica had gone back there five times, with either Rachel or Chandler. She refused to take Phoebe, because Phoebe would pounce on every mother with children, ask what the child's name was, and tell Monica that she should call her child that. On the fifth time she visited, she took Chandler, and they bought the crib and pram. When they got them back to the baby's room – Rachel's old room – the room finally looked completed. The walls were white, and the carpet was pale blue, as were the curtains and lampshade. The crib was white, with blue edges, and the pram was navy blue.

"It's wonderful," Monica whispered. She turned to face Chandler, and kissed him. "I love you so much," she added, happily.

"Me too," he whispered back. "I can't wait until the baby comes." As if on cue, the baby kicked. "Hey there, Little One," he laughed. They had fallen into the habit of calling the baby Little One, as they still didn't have a name for it.

"Little One feels left out," giggled Monica. "Oh, stop it!" Chandler started tickling her, trying to make her giggle even more. She didn't really mind. It was fun – she was with her husband and her child, and they were having fun.

* * *

A few weeks later, Rachel and Gunther were chatting in Central Perk when Monica and Chandler arrived. Monica immediately picked up on the eager look on Gunther's face. "What's up?" she asked. Rachel and Gunther ignored her.

"It's not that I don't love you," Rachel said, slowly. "I – I guess I'm just not ready for marriage."

"Oh," Gunther sighed, the eager look quickly being replaced by a sadder one. "But we can still date, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Rachel cried. "I don't want to break up." The two of them kissed, much to the amusement of Joey, who had suddenly appeared behind Chandler.

"Yeah baby," he said, smirking at the couple.

"Don't, Joey," Monica rebuked him. "They're in love."

"Well, so are we," Chandler told her. "But we don't go around kissing, do we?"

"But you're married," Joey said.

"Oh, I never knew that," Chandler quipped, sarcastically. 

"You didn't?" cried Joey, making the two kissers break apart.

"What?" asked Rachel, her lipstick clearly visible on Gunther's mouth. Phoebe arrived at that very moment. 

"Nice lipstick, Gunther," she told him, sincerely. "Is it Ruby Rose?"

"May-maybe," Gunther stuttered, embarrassed. "I have to work now." He got up, and left the five friends by themselves. 

"So?" asked Monica of Rachel. 

"So what?" Rachel countered.

"What happened between you and Gunther?" Monica was eager for details. She wanted to know everything that had gone on between her friend and Gunther. 

"He asked me – to marry him," Rachel faltered.

"What?" Phoebe shrieked. Everyone in the coffee house turned to look at her. "Sorry."

"And I – I said no," Rachel continued.

"Are you mad, woman?" Phoebe cried. "That man has loved you ever since that day you ran in here in your wedding dress!" Rachel nodded. "And you love him, right?" She nodded again. "So why did you say no? For the love of God, woman, why did you say no?"

"Because I'm not ready for marriage," Rachel mumbled. Monica hid a smile. Phoebe would get Rachel to accept this proposal; she could see it coming. 

"Pah!" Phoebe muttered. "You can't say you aren't ready for marriage until you've tried it," she explained. There was a pause. At this point, Monica always expected Ross to give some comment about how that wasn't true, and then they would get the whole lesbian joke again.

"I'm not marrying Gunther just to prove you right, Phoebe," Rachel said, firmly. Monica gasped. Rachel was standing up to someone? "My life is perfect just now," she continued. "I'm in love, but I've only been dating for a few months. I don't want to rush into anything." She paused. "Look at Ross. Look at what happened with Emily. He messed up that marriage, because they'd only been dating for six weeks. I don't want to make the same mistake. I love Gunther, I really do, but I – I don't want to rush into anything, I don't want to do anything that would ruin my relationship with him."

When she had finished, there was a silence among the friends. Gunther appeared from behind the counter, and hugged Rachel. But the reason the others were floored wasn't because of that. Rachel had mentioned Ross. She had mentioned the person that they hadn't spoken about for months. They avoided the topic like the plague. Rachel especially, because of what she had told him, just days before he hurt Monica. She had told Ross that she loved him. But, thought Monica, that wasn't the same Ross. The Ross that had objected to Monica and Chandler's relationship was not the same Ross that Rachel had loved. 

Monica felt Chandler's arm around her. She hardly noticed it, because she was thinking so hard. She needed to get in touch with Ross. Then her life would be perfect.


	6. Chapter Six

Love You, Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Pity.

Because Monica was on maternity leave, she had plenty of time to plan what she was going to say to Ross. A few weeks after her decision, she and Chandler went to see him. A few seconds after knocking, the door opened.

"What do _you_ want?" asked Ross, crossly, not really looking at either of them.

"Can we come in?" Monica queried, ignoring her brother's obvious anger. She didn't wait for a reply, and pushed past him, Chandler following. Ross' jaw dropped when he saw Monica's stomach.

"You're pregnant?" he exclaimed.

"No, she just likes the look," Chandler quipped, earning himself dirty looks from both siblings.

"Shut up, honey," Monica told him sweetly. She turned to her brother. "Ross, please, just listen to what I'm going to say, please?" Ross nodded, curtly. "I know you don't want me to get hurt, but –"

"That wasn't what I was angry about," Ross said, still looking unhappy. "I was angry because it was my wedding night, and you were trying to take the attention away from me. And Chandler was taking advantage of my baby sister, and my baby sister was behaving like a little slut, getting drunk and sleeping with the first guy she saw. And I'm not done being angry. I don't want to see you, or Chandler, or that baby."

There was a short silence. Monica had honestly believed that Ross would be thrilled to hear about the baby and his new brother-in-law. When a few minutes had passed, and it seemed obvious that Ross wasn't going to come round, she sighed, and spoke again. "Well, I'm sorry, Ross. I just thought you'd want to know that we got married, and we're having a baby – I thought that you'd be pleased." Her voice shook with anger and hurt. "I wish that you were happy for us. We miss you being our friend, but if you don't want to know us…" She left the sentence hanging, an empty threat.

Chandler took her arm. "Let's go, Monica," he sighed. "I knew this was a bad idea. Come see us when you want to be civil, Ross." And together, the couple walked out of Ross' apartment, and out of his life.

* * *

When Monica and Chandler told the gang about their talk with Ross, they received mixed reactions. Joey was angry, and wanted to 'go kick some Gellar butt', whereas Rachel was shocked, as was Phoebe.

"I can't believe you went to see that monster!" cried Phoebe.

"He's not a monster," Monica told her. "He's my brother, but he doesn't seem to want to be," she added, sighing. Rachel hugged her, and Joey gave a little smirk. 

"Hey, hey, Monica and Rachel," he giggled, like a dirty schoolboy.

"That's my wife, man," Chandler said, in mild indignation. 

"I hope Ross does comes back soon," Rachel murmured. Gunther heard this and scowled. "I can't believe he doesn't even want to know his niece or nephew." Gunther looked happier. "What are you going to call the baby?" Rachel asked for the thousandth time. She knew there was no answer; she just liked discussing baby names.

"No idea," Chandler told her. "I like Bethany Monica for a girl or Robert James for a boy."

"Oh, no!" Phoebe announced. "Phoebe is the best name. I named one of the triplets after you, didn't I?"

"How about Joseph?" Joey asked.

"What if it's a girl?" Monica countered.

"Josephine," Joey said, after thinking wildly for a moment.

"You should call it, uh, Raquel," Rachel said, happy that she'd thought of a name that wasn't Rachel, but sounded a lot like it. 

"No," Chandler decided. "We can decide on a name for our baby _by ourselves_." Monica nodded. "And it will not be named after any one of you." The three looked disappointed.

"But you'd better decide pretty quickly," Rachel told them. "Isn't the baby due in a week?"

"Nine days," Monica corrected her. "I can't wait to be a mom!"

* * *

Two days later, Monica was cooking dinner for the gang when she felt a pain in her stomach. She gasped as something wet touched her legs. "C-Chandler?" she asked, tentatively.

"What, honey?" Chandler picked up on the nerves in his wife's voice, and was by her side in a second.

"My – my water broke," Monica whispered, the pain searing through her stomach again. "I – it hurts."

"Guys, quiet! We're trying to watch Days of our Lives!" Rachel, the resident soap queen, ordered.

Chandler gritted his teeth. "Rachel, Monica has just gone into labour, and you're worried about watching a soap?"

"Ohmigod!" Rachel gasped. "Labour?"

Another moan from Monica answered her question. The pain Monica was feeling was unbearable.

"It hurts like mad," she moaned.

"You think it hurts now?" Phoebe exclaimed. "It will get much worse, believe me. _You_ won't be able to handle it."

"Thanks, Pheebs," Chandler said, sarcastically. Monica began to cry softly at Phoebe's words.

Joey jumped up. "I'll call a cab," he told the others. Chandler nodded his thanks, and began to settle Monica on the couch.

"My – my couch!" Monica gasped. "I can't mess it up with – watery stuff."

"Rachel, get some towels," Chandler ordered. Rachel ran into the bathroom, and came out, laden with towels. She spread them on the couch, and Monica then felt it safe to lie down.

After a few more minutes of pain and mess, Joey arrived to say that the cab was here. He offered to stay behind and ring the Gellars and Nora Bing, to tell them what was happening. Phoebe offered to stay also. There wasn't enough room in the cab for four people. So Monica, Chandler and Rachel left for the hospital.

* * *

Seven painful hours later, Monica was rewarded. The doctor handed her a small bundle. "Congratulations, Mrs Bing, you have a daughter."

Monica felt as though she would burst with happiness. Judging by the happiness on Chandler's face, he felt the same. "We've got a baby girl?" he gasped.

All of the pain was worth it, just for that moment. Monica held her newborn daughter and marvelled at how much she looked like Chandler. "Tell the others," she whispered. "But – don't bring them in, not yet." Chandler nodded, and left. Monica was alone with her daughter. She'd wanted this day since she was five. And now it was here, it felt better than she could ever have imagined.

Chandler arrived back. "What are we going to call her?" he asked.

Monica leaned closer, and whispered a name to him. A smile grew on his face. "Perfect," he said. 

* * *

As Rachel, Joey and Phoebe were ushered in, Monica smiled at them. "Guys, meet Grace Kathryn Bing," she announced, smiling. As the gang all cooed over the new arrival, Monica looked up at Chandler. "Love you," she whispered to him, softly.

"Love you, too," Chandler replied, and kissed her gently.

A/N: That's the last part. I might do an epilogue if you ask nicely, but it's come the full circle now. Please R+R


	7. Epilogue

****

Love You, Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters apart from the children.

Monica was thrilled with her life. She had a wonderful husband, a beautiful six-year-old daughter, a one-year-old son, and the best friends she could hope for. Rachel and Gunther had married, and their three-year-old daughter, Kelley, was the cutest little thing that any of the gang had ever seen. Joey had dated a string of women, not settling down at all, and Phoebe was a single mom with a six-month-old son – the father wasn't interested.

There was only one thing that could make the gang's life more perfect. Ross, their ex-friend and brother, still hadn't come round to the idea of Monica and Chandler's relationship. Most of the gang had given up hope, but Monica still phoned him every birthday and Christmas. All they knew was that he had married again. He hadn't invited any of the gang to his wedding. 

"I wish Ross would call," Phoebe voiced her thoughts one snowy morning in December, when they were all in Central Perk.

Monica was shocked. Phoebe seemed to hate Ross most of the time. Looking at the woman nursing the baby, she noticed that Phoebe had changed a lot. They all had.

"So do I," Rachel confessed, her husband nodding.

"But not to steal you," Gunther added.

"Who's Ross?" Kelley asked.

"He's my uncle," Grace told her. "But I don't know who really is," she added.

"He was our friend," Chandler informed them. "But he fell out with me and Mom when we first started dating."

"He's my brother," Monica added. She cuddled little Leo closer to her, and Chandler held Grace tighter as well. For some reason, the mention of Ross always made the gang much more protective of their kids.

"Hey, wouldn't it be weird if he suddenly walked in here now?" asked Joey. "I mean – so much has happened since he left."

Monica thought back to that day when her brother had kicked her in the stomach and walked out. She and Chandler had married, had Grace, had Leo, Rachel and Gunther had married and had Kelley, Phoebe had had little Joey. Joey was so proud of the baby's name. He loved having a namesake, and he loved being a godfather. Ross had missed so much. He would have been Grace's godfather, and probably Leo's too. He might even have married Rachel instead of Gunther getting there first. Kelley could have been his child. 

"Earth to Monica, Earth to Monica," Rachel said, smiling. "Where were you, Mon?"

"Ooh, ooh, were you abducted by aliens?" asked Phoebe eagerly.

"No," Monica said, with a 'What-the-hell?" look. 

"Oh, I guess not. Well, figures," Phoebe sighed. "I mean, why would they choose an unbeliever like you?"

Monica ignored her.

"What were you thinking about, sweetie?" Chandler asked.

"Just thinking how much Ross has missed out on," Monica said quietly. "I mean, he doesn't even know Grace, and he has no idea that Leo and Kelley and Joey even exist."

"Hey, he knew me," Joey protested.

"I meant baby Joey," Monica told him. Joey nodded. "He doesn't know about Rachel and Gunther, and we don't know his new wife."

"I wish he'd call," Phoebe said, again. As she spoke, a new figure approached them. Grace noticed him first, but ignored him. Monica turned, and gasped. 

It was Ross. And he'd heard every word they'd said.

* * *

"Ross?" gasped Phoebe.

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "I-I heard what you said. You, uh, you want me back?"

"Yes!" cried Monica. "T-that is, if you'll come back," she added, worried.

"Uh, yeah," Ross said, as if she was stupid. For a moment, it was as if nothing had changed. Then Kelley turned to her mother and whispered something.

"That's Uncle Ross," Rachel replied, absently. She couldn't totally believe it. Beside her, Gunther didn't seem to believe it, either.

"Ross?" he asked. "Why are you here?"

"Be-because I'm done being angry, and I was stupid," Ross explained. "I am _so_ sorry." And he proceeded to tell them what had happened since he walked out.

"Well, I spent a lot of time with Susan and Carol, and then Susan introduced me to her sister, Penelope. I thought she was really cute, and we spent a lot of time together. Eventually, I proposed to her, and she said yes. We got married about two months later. And a year after that, we had a daughter. We called her Flora, and when she was eighteen months old, Penny had another baby, and we called that one Theresa. They're two and five months old now. Well, a few weeks after Tessie was born, Penny was in a car crash, and she died two days later. I've come back because I need help."

Monica looked at her brother with tears in her eyes. He'd had such a bad time in those seven years. She turned to him, and smiled slightly. 

With the rest of the gang backing her up, she gave her brother her full support. "We'll help, Ross."

* * *

Three months later, Ross, Flora and Tessie were well acquainted with the gang, and the younger ones couldn't remember a time when they hadn't known Uncle Ross. The older ones could remember, and they could remember why. They were trying their best to forget, because Ross hadn't shown any signs of hostility to Chandler, Monica, Grace or Leo, and they knew that he was trying to make up for his moment of madness seven years before.

There was one thing that made the gang all keep on trying to forget. Love.


End file.
